Stephen Downes

Stephen Downes (born April 6, 1959) is a Canadian philosopher and expert in online learning and new media. Downes has worked with computers and online technologies in education since 1995.[2] Downes gave the 2004 Buntine Oration.[3] He spoke at the February 2007 Online Connectivism Conference.[4] In 2008, Downes and George Siemens designed and taught an online, open course. It was called a "landmark in the small but growing push toward 'open teaching'"[5] It is often called the first Massive open online course (MOOC).

External media
Stephen Downes
Audio
Interview with Stephen Downes, 19:39, Degree of Freedom, December 20, 2013.[1]
Video
"What Are Cultures of Learning" - Stephen Downes at altc2013, 56:08, Association for Learning Technology

Downes was born in Montreal, Quebec. He lived and worked many places in Canada before joining the National Research Council of Canada. He became a senior researcher there in November 2001.[1] He moved to Casselman, Ontario. Downes became a researcher at the NRC's Digital Technologies Research Centre in Ottawa.[6]

Downes won the Edublog Award for Best Individual Blog in 2005 for his blog OLDaily.[7] Downes is Editor at Large of the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.[8]

Downes ran for Mayor of Brandon in 1995. He was working at the Assiniboine Community College. Downes was a member of the New Democratic Party. In his campaign he wanted policies to the left of incumbent mayor Rick Borotsik.[9]

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Interview with Stephen Downes". Degree of Freedom. Jonathan Haber. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. Kinney, Duncan (September 2010). "An Open Education Primer: What you need to know about the future of post-secondary education". Unlimited Magazine. Retrieved 2014-07-12.
  3. Downes, S. (2004). "Buntine Oration: Learning Objects" (PDF). International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. 1 (11): 3–14. ISSN 1550-6908.
  4. University of Manitoba: Learning Technologies Centre Archived 2007-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Parry, Marc (August 29, 2010). Online, Bigger Classes May Be Better Classes. http://chronicle.com/article/Open-Teaching-When-the/124170. Retrieved 2010-09-02. 
  6. "NRC Experts and Staff: Stephen Downes". National Research Council of Canada. April 16, 2003. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  7. "2005 Edublog Awards". Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  8. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Editorial Board Retrieved on 2010-09-02.
  9. Bud Robertson, "Election-Profile-Brandon", Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 1995, A1.

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